Method and Apparatus for Holding an Online Live Auction to Combine Features of Both the Internet and Traditional, Real World Auctions

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: transmitting, via a communication device, to one or more remote auction bidders information about an item being auctioned at a live auction site; receiving, via the communication device, one or more remote auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned; choosing, via a computer, as a starting bid in the live auction a highest bid from one or more remote auction bids; processing, using the computer, onsite auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders for the item being auctioned using the starting bid; accepting, by an auctioneer of the live auction site, using the computer, an auction bid, wherein the accepted auction bid is selected from a plurality of onsite auction bids and the starting bid; and transmitting, via the communication device, information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids to at least one remote auction bidder, wherein the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids is determined by an auctioneer of the live auction site.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising: capturing live audio and video data at the live auction site; and streaming the captured live audio and video data to one or more remote auction bidders.

3. A system comprising: a live auction interface operable, using a computer, to process onsite and remote auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and remote auction bidders for an item being auctioned at a live auction site by an auctioneer to transmit, via a communication device, to one or more of the remote auction bidders information pertaining to the item being auctioned, and to transmit to the one or more remote auction bidders information regarding acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids; and a real time bidding processor to receive remote auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned, choose as a starting bid in the live auction a highest bid from the remote auction bids, and to bid at the live auction site on behalf of the remote auction bidder of the highest bid.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the transmitting of the information pertaining to the item being auctioned and the information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote bids is performed over a network infrastructure.

5. The system of claim 3 , wherein the information pertaining to the item being auctioned is selected from the group consisting of text-based item listings, thumbnail images, streaming audio, and streaming video.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising: presenting, using a computer, information about a live auction to one or more online attendees of the live auction; receiving, via a communication device, online bids from the one or more online attendees; choosing, via the computer, as a starting bid in the live auction a highest bid from the online bids; presenting, using the computer, the starting bid to an auction conductor; receiving, via the communication device, a live bid, wherein the live bid was submitted to the auction conductor by a live attendee of the live auction; and presenting, using the computer, the live bid to the online attendee bidding the highest bid.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising: presenting, using the computer, the highest bid to live attendees of the live auction.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising: receiving, via the communication device, a final auction bid, wherein the final auction bid is a bid accepted by the auction conductor.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising: presenting, using the computer, information about acceptance of at least one of the live bid and the online bid to the online attendee.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the information about acceptance of at least one of the live bid and the online bid includes audio and video information.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the information about the live auction includes audio and video information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the presenting of the live bid to the online attendee occurs in near real-time.

13. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform the method of claim 7 .

14. An apparatus comprising: a first device configured to present information to online bidders of an integrated live and online auction, the information being about an item for sale at the integrated live and online auction; a second device to receive online bids from the online bidders, wherein the online bids are associated with the item, the second device to choose as a starting bid in the integrated live and online auction a highest bid from online bids received from the online bidders; and a live auction interface configured to present the starting bid to live bidders at the integrated live and online auction.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the information includes thumbnail images of the item.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the information includes textual information.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the live auction interface is to receive, via the second device, a final bid which was accepted by an auction conductor.

18. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: a third device configured to present audio and video information about progress of the integrated live and online auction.

19. The apparatus of claim 14 further comprising: a third device configured to conduct a teleconference including the live bidders and online bidders, the teleconference to monitor the progress of the integrated live and online auction.

20. A machine-readable medium including instructions which when executed by a machine cause the machine to perform operations comprising: integrating online bidders with live bidders to form an integrated auction for selling an item, the integrating including, transmitting audio and video information to the online bidders, the audio and video information indicating progress of the integrated auction; receiving bids associated with the online bidders and the live bidders; choosing as a starting bid in a live auction a highest bid from one or more remote auction bids; and presenting certain of the bids including the starting bid to an auction conductor, the online bidders and the live bidders.

21. The machine-readable medium of claim 20 to perform operations further comprising: receiving a final auction bid, wherein the final auction bid is a bid accepted by the auction conductor.

22. The machine-readable medium of claim 20 to perform operations further comprising: presenting the final auction bid to the online bidders and the live bidders.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the bids associated with the live bidders were submitted by the live bidders to the auction conductor.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 20 , wherein the online bidders receive the certain of the bids in near real-time.

25. The machine-readable medium of claim 20 to perform operations further comprising: presenting textual information about the item to the online bidders.

26. A computer-implemented method comprising: capturing, using a computer, live audio and video data at a live auction with an auctioneer; transmitting, via a communication device, the captured live audio and video data to one or more remote auction bidders, each remote auction bidder operating a bidding device, enabling remote auction bidders to hear the auctioneer and view real-time video from the live auction site, the live audio and video being received along with information regarding an item being auctioned at the live auction site and information regarding acceptance and rejection of onsite and remote auction bids over an IP network, the bidding device being operable to receive and transmit auction bids for the item being auctioned; transmitting, via the communication device, to the one or more remote auction bidders information regarding the item being auctioned; receiving, via the communication device, auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the item being auctioned; choosing as a starting bid in the live auction, via using the computer, a highest bid from auction bids received from the one or more remote auction bidders; processing, using the computer, auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and the starting bid for the item being auctioned at the live auction site; accepting an auction bid, the auction bid being accepted by the computer used by the auctioneer and the accepted auction bid is selected from a plurality of onsite auction bids and the starting bid; and transmitting information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids to at least one remote bidding device.

27. The computer-implemented method of claim 26 , wherein the information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids includes audio and video information.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 26 , wherein the bidding device is computer.

29. A system to integrate a remote auction audience with an onsite auction audience, the system comprising: a first computer system to process auction bids from one or more onsite auction bidders and remote auction bidders for an item being auctioned at a live auction site, wherein the processing of the auction bids include choosing as a stating bid in the onsite auction a highest bid from the auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders; and a second computer system using a communication device to: transmit to one or more remote auction bidder's information pertaining to the item being auctioned, receive auction bids from the one or more remote auction bidders for the items being auctioned; and transmit to the one or more remote auction bidders information regarding the acceptance and rejection of the onsite and remote auction bids; the first and second computer systems operating under direction of an auctioneer.